Common Words 4

Question 1

ignoble

Answer 1

dishonour
ignobility is characterised by baseless, lowness or meanness.

Synonyms : ungentle , untitled

In the 1920s, the World Series was rigged–an ignoble act which baseball took decades to recover from.

Question 2

underscore

Answer 2

give extra weight to (a communication)

Synonyms : emphasise , emphasize , underline

While the hiking instructor agreed that carrying a first aid kit could be a good idea under certain circumstances, he underscored the importance of carrying enough water.

Question 3

unscrupulous

Answer 3

without morals, scruples or principles

In the courtroom, the lawyer was unscrupulous, using every manner of deceit and manipulation to secure a victory for himself.

Question 4

construe

Answer 4

interpreted in a particular way

Synonyms : interpret , see

The author’s inability to take a side on the issue was construed by both his opponents and supporters as a sign of weakness.

Question 5

pundit

Answer 5

someone who has been admitted to membership in a scholarly field

Synonyms : initiate , learned person , savant

Steven Pinker’s credentials are unquestioned as a pundit; he has taught at MIT and Stanford, teaches at Harvard, and has published a number of influential books on cognition, language, and psychology.

Question 6

temperance

Answer 6

the trait of avoiding excesses

Synonyms : moderation,sobriety

Welles wasn’t known for his temperance–he usually ate enough for two and drank enough for three.

Question 7

ingratiate

Answer 7

gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts

Even though Tom didn’t like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.

Question 8

idiosyncrasy

Answer 8

a trait particular to a person
a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual

Synonyms : foible , mannerism

Peggy’s numerous idiosyncrasies include wearing mismatched shoes, laughing loudly to herself, and owning a pet aardvark.

Question 9

petulant

Answer 9

easily irritated or annoyed

Synonyms : cranky , fractious , irritable , nettlesome , peckish , peevish , pettish , scratchy , techy , testy , tetchy

When Ed first met Ruth, he didn’t realize she was so petulant, but now that they are three months into their relationship, Ed feels a day doesn’t go by in which she isn’t whining about some minor issue.

Question 10

aberrant

Answer 10

markedly different from an accepted norm
(aberration: deviating from the norm/paired with anomaly)
Synonyms : deviant , deviate

When the financial director started screaming and throwing food at his co-workers, the police had to come in to deal with his aberrant behavior.

Question 11

tortuous

Answer 11

marked by repeated turns and bends; not straightforward

Synonyms : twisting , twisty , voluminous , winding

Because the logic behind McMahon’s side of the debate was so tortuous, his audience came out either completely confused or, worse, feeling they’d been tricked.

Question 12

bumble

Answer 12

lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands

Synonyms : bungling , butterfingered , ham-fisted , ham-handed , handless , heavy-handed , left-handed

Within a week of starting, the bumbling new waiter was unceremoniously fired.

Question 13

copious

Answer 13

in abundant supply

Synonyms : ample , plenteous , plentiful , rich, voluminous

In midsummer, there are copious popsicle stands at the beach; in the winter, there are none.

Question 14

largess

Answer 14

extreme generosity and giving

Synonyms : largesse , magnanimity , munificence , openhandedness

Uncle Frank was known for his largess, so his nephew was sad when he did not receive a present for his birthday.

Question 15

confound

Answer 15

Real GRE: destroying
confusion

Question 16

implacable

Answer 16

incapable of making less angry or hostile
(opposite of placate and placable)

Win or lose, the coach was always implacable, never giving the athletes an easy practice or a break.

Question 17

laudable

Answer 17

worthy of high praise

Synonyms : applaudable , commendable , praiseworthy

To say that Gandhi’s actions were laudable is the greatest understatement; he overthrew an empire without violence.

Question 18

denigrate

Answer 18

charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone
defame

Synonyms : asperse , besmirch , calumniate , defame , slander , smear , smirch , sully

Count Rumford denigrated the new theory of heat, demonstrating that it was wholly inadequate to explain the observations.

Question 19

apocryphal

Answer 19

being of questionable authenticity

The web is notorious for sandwiching apocryphal stories between actual news.

Question 20

pragmatic

Answer 20

guided by practical experience and observation rather than theory
A practical approach to problems/affairs

Synonyms : hard-nosed , hardheaded , practical

Rather than make a philosophical appeal to the Congressmen, the Speaker decided to take a far more pragmatic approach, making small side-deals that would add votes to his bill.

Question 21

forthcoming

Answer 21

available when required or as promised

Synonyms : approaching , coming , upcoming

The President announced that the senators were about to reach a compromise, and that he was eager to read the forthcoming details of the bill.

adjective: at ease in talking to others

Synonyms : extroverted , outgoing

As a husband, Larry was not forthcoming: if Jill didn’t demand to know details, Larry would never share them with her.

Question 22

soporific

Answer 22

inducing mental lethargy; sleep inducing

Synonyms : hypnagogic , hypnogogic , somniferous , somnific , soporiferous,narcotic

Although the professor is brilliant, his bland monotone gives his lectures a soporific effect.

Question 23

intransigent

Answer 23

unwilling to change one’s beliefs or course of action

Synonyms : adamant , adamantine , inexorable

Despite many calls for mercy, the judge remained intransigent, citing strict legal precedence.

Question 24

pedantic

Answer 24

marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning especially its trivial aspects

Synonyms : academic , donnish

Professor Thompson was regarded as an expert in his field, but his lectures were utterly pedantic, focused on rigorous details of the most trivial conventions in the field.

Question 25

abstruse

Answer 25

difficult to understand; incomprehensible

Synonyms : deep , recondite

Physics textbooks can seem so abstruse to the uninitiated that readers feel as though they are looking at hieroglyphics.

Question 26

expound

Answer 26

add details or explanation; clarify the meaning; state in depth

Synonyms : dilate , elaborate , enlarge , expand , expatiate , exposit , flesh out , lucubrate

The CEO refused to expound on the decision to merge our department with another one, and so I quit.

Question 27

discrete

Answer 27

distinct

Question 28

discreet

Answer 28

secret

Question 29

exalt

Answer 29

praise or glorify

Synonyms : extol , glorify , laud , proclaim

The teenagers exalted the rock star, covering their bedrooms with posters of him.

Question 30

incorrigible

Answer 30

impervious to correction by punishment

Tom Sawyer seems like an incorrigible youth until Huck Finn enters the novel; even Sawyer can’t match his fierce individual spirit.

Question 31

hackneyed

Answer 31

lacking significance through having been overused

Synonyms : banal , commonplace , old-hat , shopworn , stock , threadbare , timeworn , tired , trite , well-worn

Cheryl rolled her eyes when she heard the lecturer’s hackneyed advice to “be true to yourself.”

Question 32

burgeon

Answer 32

grow and flourish

China’s housing market is burgeoning, but some predict that the growth is merely a bubble and will burst much like the U.S. real estate bubble of 2008.

Question 33

admonitory

Answer 33

serving to warn; expressing reproof or reproach especially as a corrective

Synonyms : cautionary , exemplary , monitory , warning

At the assembly, the high school vice-principal gave the students an admonitory speech, warning them of the many risks and dangers of prom night.

Question 34

contingent

Answer 34

a gathering of persons representative of some larger group

A small contingent of those loyal to the king have gathered around the castle to defend it.

adjective: possible but not certain to occur

Whether the former world champions can win again this year is contingent upon none of its star players getting injured.

Question 35

acerbic

Answer 35

harsh in tone

Synonyms : acerb , acid , acrid , bitter , blistering , caustic , sulfurous , sulphurous , virulent , vitriolic

Most movie critics are acerbic towards summer blockbusters, often referring to them as garbage.

Question 36

implausible

Answer 36

describing a statement that is not believable

Synonyms : farfetched

The teacher found it implausible that the student was late to school because he had been kidnapped by outlaws on horseback.

Question 37

espouse

Answer 37

to adopt or support an idea or cause

Synonyms : adopt , embrace , sweep up

As a college student, Charlie espoused Marxism, growing his beard out and railing against the evils of the free-market.

Question 38

ostentatious

Answer 38

intended to attract notice and impress others; tawdry or vulgar

Synonyms : pretentious

Matt wanted to buy stone lions for front of the house, but Cynthia convinced him that such a display would be too ostentatious for a modest house in an unassuming neighborhood.